The Washington critic., 1887-02-16
WASHINGTON, FEpnuAnY 10. 1887.
ONE THING THE HOUSE SHOULD
NOT FORGET.

ONE THING THE HOUSE SHOULD
NOT FORGET.
II not infrequently happens toward
the close Of session of Congress that
many matters of legislation which
could be attended TO with the least eX.
penditure of time and trouble-matters
about which there would be no oo.
casion for controversy or debate-arc
overlooked or forgotten In the general
rush for precedence. Thus really i'm.
portant and even urgent measures are
sometimes lost that with timely and
judicious effort could be disposed Of In
fifteen minutes
We have in miad at this particular
moment the Scn.te resolution proyid'
ing for an amendment To tho Cunstttu-
tion whereby the Presidential term
may be made to bcpin on the last Tues
day In April, Instead Of the l'h Of
March, thereby changing The day of
Inauguration The resolution proposes
that this amendment shall 90 into ef'
feet on the 30lh day Of April, 1880,
iHC ttbNCnlllhl NIAAh tlNAlN VI AhS Na1
on which President Washington took
his first oath of Office, and when, as
the historian Losing says; "Constitu-
jional Republicanism, pure, vigorous
and abiding, was first inausuratcd." ="
1t is especially desirable that the res
olution should be passed by the pres
ont Congress, in order to make certain
of the ratification Of the amendment by
the required number of States, either
in legislature or convention, before the
term of President Cleveland otherwise
expires. The Senate has already given
its assent to the resolution, but the
House committee having II In charge is
liable to kill it by procrastnation, un.
less its members can be spurred in
some way 10 the necessary action. 1t
Is numbered with amendments relative
TO change in the sessions of Congress,
but these can be acted on as separate
propositions and, If necessary, left to
the determination of the next Con-
gress. There is no such urgency in
their case as in the other. The great
point now is 10 pass the Senate resolu-
tion as II stands, which can be done
with out delay, and 1t is not too much
10 say that the people at large will ad.
judge the House recrcant TO its duty If
it fails to do it.
We cannot understand why any
member should object TO SO desirable q
change as transfer of the day of in.
auguration from stormy March TO
balmy April, or be slow to appreciate
the propriety Of initiating this change
in the centennial year. The noblest of
historic associations, as well as climatic
and sanitary considerations, suggest
its great desrability. Will not the
House rise to the height of the occasion
and do its plain duty in the premises ?
TIE District Committee of the forth.
coming National Drill have submitted
memorial to Congress to the effect
that but one thing is needed TO com.
plete and round this national enterprise
10 perfectly successful moral issue
and to the highest possible usefulness
on its military side" THAT one
thing" say the memorialsts, "is such
simple recognition by Congress as will
nationalize it, and give 1t the stamp of
governmental countenance, with the
least possible expenditure of public
money" To this end they ask the
passage Of joint resolution authoriz.
ing the striking by the United States
Mint Of one grand medal of honor and
not to exceed nineteen lesser medals for
competitive distribution among the
representative soldiers Of the several
States. This is a modest and just re.
quest which ought by all means to be
complied with. The Government Ger.
tainly owes as much to the projectors
and managers of the proposed drill,
which will undoubtedly be the
finest military display the country has
witnessed since the war, and we might
remark that the medals should be no
cheap affairs, but as elaborate and
artistic as the notable occasion re.
quires, "a merely nominal cost" as
the committee economically suggest,
would be carrying Jeffcrsonian sim.
rliciiy TO an extreme.